Naruto: Another Side, a New Story
by Trence Vask Zephyr
Summary: The story of Naruto takes a whole new turn as Samanosuke Tatsukokoro returns along with a few new allies. But, little does anyone know that a new evil is about to surface...
1. Prologue Part 1

Naruto: Another Side, a New Story

**Naruto: Another Side, a New Story**

**Prologue: Prelude Part 1**

_Land of Waves_

The night air was very calm as it passed through the Land of Waves, giving no hint of danger or suspicion at all. In the town, people were still celebrating the day's events. Not only had their land been rid of the evil Gato, but the people had finally found their courage and were able to drive the remnants of his corruption away. But while everyone was busy celebrating, something started to stir on the top of a hill outside of town where two graves sat silently in the darkness of the night. These were the graves of Zabuza and his student Haku, who had been defeated by the heroic ninja team of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi earlier that day. The two of them had been laid to rest upon a hill top, overlooking the village below.

For a few minutes, everything was quiet. The ground remained still and the wind barely blew at all. But then, the ground beneath Zabuza's grave began to stir and shake, as if something was trying to escape.

"Mph, they should've…buried me…a little deeper…" said a gruff, stern voice from beneath the ground. Suddenly, an arm burst from the earth that quickly grabbed onto the surface, pulling with it the body of Zabuza Momochi! As Zabuza pulled himself from the earth, he rolled over on his back and began gasping for air. "That…was not pleasant," Zabuza groaned, "but at least they didn't bother to put me in a coffin; that could've made things even more difficult."

"Well, well, good evening Zabuza," said a gentle voice, "nice to see you are finally out of that hole. I was starting to wonder if you would ever get out."

Zabuza turned his head to see his young student, Haku, sitting on the ground just a few feet away. His legs were crossed, his hands resting on his knees, with a bright smile across his face.

"Haku," Zabuza started to ask, "how long have you been sitting there?"

"Oh, about ten minutes or so," Haku answered casually.

"Then answer me this," Zabuza asked in an irritated tone, "if you were already out, why didn't you help dig me out while I was still down there?"

"Hm, well," Haku said, shrugging his shoulders, "I guess I could have helped you, but knowing how stubborn you are you would have been complaining even harder when you got out."

Zabuza was quiet for a few minutes before he started laughing and put his hand over his eyes. "Yeah, I guess that's true, though it would've been nice to get out a little sooner." Zabuza lay on the ground for a few more minutes before he finally stood up, brushed the dirt off of himself and filled in the hole he had just popped out of. "So it looks like we fooled them all, Haku, even Kakashi was fooled by our little performance."

"He sure was," Haku replied, "though, I have to admit, if his attack had been even a little bit off…"

"Don't talk like that," Zabuza interrupted, "you know I was prepared for just such an occasion. There was no way I was going to just let you die, you know that."

"Yes, I do," Haku said, a small tear escaping his eye and trickling down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away as he stood up next to Zabuza, looking out over the illuminated village.

"Well, nice to see you two are getting along," said a voice from behind the two companions. Zabuza and Haku turned around slowly; looking into the woods they saw a lone figure walk from the shadows of the trees. He was tall, with blue eyes and spiky yellow hair, exactly like Naruto's. He had a Hidden Leaf forehead protector and was wearing a long white cloak with orange flames on the edges of it.

"Hmph, if it isn't the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf Village," Zabuza said.

"Come now, Zabuza," the Fourth Hokage said, "You know I am considered dead. I do not go by that name anymore…"

"Then, what should we call you?" Haku asked.

"Well, if you need a name, it might as well be my real name," the Fourth Hokage answered. "Call me, Minato…Minato Namikaze."

"Minato, huh…?" Zabuza said, shrugging his shoulders. "Well then, Minato, it looks like you were right about that child, Naruto Uzumaki. He really is a special one."

"I did warn you, didn't I?" Minato said with a smile. "Though, I must admit, he surprised even me. I would never have guessed he would become so strong; Naruto…" Minato was lost in thought before Zabuza coughed and snapped him out of it. "Well, I guess since you two are alive, I suppose that means you are willing to take us up on our offer?"

"I guess it does," Zabuza replied frankly.

"Well then, if that's the case, please follow me," Minato said as he started to walk back into the forest, "your escort is waiting for you. It's best not to keep them waiting."

"Right, come on Haku, let's go…"

"Yes, Zabuza," Haku replied as he started to follow behind his master. But he quickly stopped after just two steps when he realized something. "Wait, Zabuza, your sword…" Haku quickly ran back to Zabuza's "grave" before he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Leave it, Haku," Zabuza said solemnly, "that sword is…was meant for the Demon of the Hidden Mist Village. I am no longer that beast; besides, if my sword goes missing, we could easily redraw attention to ourselves. So just leave that accursed blade where it is to rust, I don't need it anymore…"

"Yes, Zabuza," Haku replied. He turned around and started to walk into the forest, following Minato and Zabuza to their awaited for their escort. He only stopped once to look back down at the illuminated village, thinking of the young, blonde ninja who had come to respect and even admire a little.

_The next day, in a remote area near the Rain Village_

In a peaceful, serene forest, just on the outside of the Rain Village, stood a small little house that was discretely hidden within the trees of the forest. As the sun slowly crept over the horizon, its rays filtered through the trees, branches and eventually the windows the hidden house. As the rays entered the house, they fell upon the face of one of the residents of the dwelling. He had blue skin, marks on his cheeks that looked like gills, and dark blue spiky hair that stood straight up. He was Kisame Hoshigaki, the scourge of the Hidden Mist Village. As the rays warmed his face, he did not open his eyes. Instead, he just cringed and rolled over in his bed.

Kisame finally opened his eyes after a couple of minutes to look into the face of a beautiful woman. She had sea green hair with sea foam lipstick on her lips; she was wearing a light blue sleeveless nightgown. Her name was Nami Hoshigaki, Kisame's first true love and his wife for the past several years. As Kisame's vision came into focus, he could also see the light scarring on her arms; scarring she had received from years of abuse, all because the Hidden Mist Village needed some measly funds. When this thought entered his mind, it made Kisame's blood boil. It was because of what happened to her all those years ago that he left the Hidden Mist Village and became a rouge ninja. But it was worth it…she was worth it.

Kisame continued to just stare into her lovely face, his anger subsiding with each passing minute. He wanted to just reach out and caress her soft skin, to feel her warm lips against his just like the night before. He wanted so much to feel that pleasure again, but he held himself at bay. He just yawned quietly and slowly got out of bed, trying hard not to disturb Nami. He got out of bed, wearing nothing but his sea blue boxer shorts. He then crept out of the room as quietly as he could; even if Nami was asleep, his wife was still were alert. Once, when he had simply stepped on a creaky board, Nami nearly took his head off with a kunai knife, thinking an enemy had entered the house. After all, she was a ninja of the Hidden Mist Village too, just like Kisame. Kisame got his clothes out of a drawer and then quietly headed to the bathroom.

Once Kisame made it to the bathroom, he took a quick shower and threw on his clothes. Once he exited the bathroom, he was wearing a sleeveless black shirt that showed off his muscles and black pants. He then made his way to the kitchen, where he proceeded to make himself breakfast. He would've preferred Nami's cooking, but this was probably the first time she had ever slept so peacefully since they had been together. Kisame didn't want to ruin it for her. Once he had his breakfast, he made his way to the living room.

The living room was a bit more decorative than many of the other rooms in the house. Several paintings of the open ocean were hung on the wall; some were just the sea by itself while others had whales or sharks in them. Kisame admired the paintings for only a few seconds before he found what he was looking for. Among the many items in the room, there was a soft couch that faced an open fire place that really warmed the house during a cold day. Right above the fireplace was what Kisame was looking for—his treasured sword, Sharkskin. It had been wrapped in bandages so that dust wouldn't collect on it. Kisame had a wide grin on his face as he reached up and took Sharkskin from its resting place. Right above where Kisame's sword had been hanging was a pair of swords that were each about half as big as Sharkskin. These swords belonged to Nami; their names were Wave Breaker and Storm Crusher. Looking as those two swords reminded Kisame of just how strong his wife was, which only made him happier that he had married her.

With Sharkskin in hand, Kisame started to walk towards the door. He hand just slipped on his sandals when he heard a soft voice right behind him.

"Daddy, are you leaving already?"

Kisame turned around slowly to see a boy who was about eight years old. His name was Samemaru; he had dark blue hair, emerald green eyes, and was a long night shirt that went all the way down to his knees.

"Yeah," Kisame answered softly as he laid his sword against the wall. "I'm afraid so, son…"

Samemaru was Kisame's son, though he had only inherited his father's hair. The rest of his traits he got from his mother. He then noticed a tiny little head poke out from behind Samemaru. This time it was a young girl, who looked shyly up Kisame.

"Hey there, Oki," Kisame said gently. She didn't respond, even though she was Kisame's daughters she was a bit intimidated by him. Kisame just smiled and he leaned down on one knee and invitingly held out his arms. "Come here, you two…"

In a flash, Samemaru and Oki both leapt into their father's arms and embraced him with all their might. Kisame returned the embrace with a gentle embrace of his own. This was a side of Kisame only his family ever saw; no one, not even those of Mist Village, ever saw his compassionate side. Once he released the two them, he first looked into the face of his son and then to his daughter. Oki was six and a half years old with light green hair and black eyes. Unlike Samemaru, she had inherited most of her father's traits; besides the black eyes, she also had two curved marks under each eye that looked like gills. She also had Kisame's shark-like teeth.

Once his children had loosened their grip and allowed their father to stand up, he saw that Nami was standing at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall.

"Planning to leave with out saying goodbye, dear?" Nami asked with a little smile.

Kisame gave Nami one of his large toothy grins. "Well, I didn't want to disturb you," Kisame answered, "I know how you can be in the early morning."

Nami just chuckled lightly as she walked over to her husband, kissed him on the cheek and leaned into his arms.

"Please, be safe, Kisame," Nami whispered, "and if you happen to come across any Mist ninja…"

"Don't worry, Nami," Kisame quickly answered, "I'll be sure to make them pay!"

With those last words, Kisame released his wife. He turned around and grabbed a large cloak off of the wall; it was completely black except for a few clouds that dotted it here and there. Once he put his arms through the sleeves and closed the cloak, he then reached over to the sideboard, opened one of the drawers and took out his Hidden Mist headband. It was different from a normal Hidden Mist headband because it had a cut across the village symbol. This signified that Kisame no longer belonged to the Hidden Mist anymore. Once Kisame's headband was on tightly, he grabbed Sharkskin and flung it over his back; he opened the door, turned around, took one last look at his family and slowly closed the door.

It was a bright morning outside and Kisame's house had been dimly lit. So, when he was outside, it took him a while for his eyes to focus. Once his vision was no longer blurry, he could see a solitary figure leaning against a tree just a few meters away. This figure was drabbed in the same cloak as Kisame, but his headband was not of the Hidden Mist Village. His headband was of the Leaf Village. This figure had black hair that reached down to his neck and he had two oddly shaped scars beneath his eyes. When he turned to face Kisame, he opened his eyes to reveal the Sharingan.

"Well, well, greetings Itachi," Kisame said in his usual cold, cynical tone, "so nice to see you so early. I usually have to drag your lazy rear out of bed."

Itachi didn't say anything; he just continued to stare at Kisame with a cold stare. "Hmph," Itachi finally said after awhile, "let's get going. Our leader has a new assignment for us and the rest of the group."

"Right," Kisame answered with a nod.

In a split second, both Itachi and Kisame leapt into the trees and began to jump from branch to branch. Several moments of silence passed before Kisame spoke up.

"By the way," Kisame started to say as he looked at Itachi, "how is Yasumi doing? I haven't seen at most of our meetings lately."

"She was given a nine month pass," Itachi said, "that was five months ago."

Kisame didn't understand it at first, but after a few moments of thinking he realized what Itachi was saying.

"Oh, heh-heh-heh," Kisame chuckled, "you two have been busy, haven't you?"

Itachi didn't answer; he just continued to stare straight ahead. That silence was more than enough to confirm Kisame's beliefs. Kisame chuckled a little as they continued to leap through the trees. Neither one of them said anything for the next several minutes, until…

"Let's hurry, Kisame," Itachi said, "the sooner we receive our orders and carry them out, the sooner I can get back to Yasumi and you to Nami…"

"Right," was all Kisame said.

The two of them knew it would probably be months, maybe even years, before either of them got back. But they were used it, used to all the trouble they had to go through with each assignment; it was all necessary, for all the hidden ninja villages were either weak, corrupt, or both. And it was their job, the Akatsuki's job, to rid the world of all weakness and corruption!

To be continued…

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Nami, Samemaru, Oki, Yasumi © M. Z. Hamma

Well, here is the first part of the prologue of my fanfic. Please read and review…enjoy!


	2. Prologue Part 2

Naruto: Another Side, a New Story

**Naruto: Another Side, a New Story**

**Prologue: Prelude Part II**

_The Hidden Leaf Village, several days after the completion of the bridge…_

The sun rose slowly over the horizon, blanketing everything in its warm glow. People were just starting to stir from their sleep, while some just continued to sleep. There was only one person who was already up; he had been up even before the sun had even peeked into the sky. He was standing in front of large stone, the names of multiple people written on its surface. These were people who had given their lives to protect their home and their friends from death and destruction. Of course, there were only three names on this stone that interested this lone person. Those were the names of his sensei and two old comrades, whom he had lost over the years. The figure was wearing a typical Hidden Leaf Jônin outfit; what was unique about him was that he had a mask that covered most of his face, silver spiky hair that stood up and his Hidden Leaf headband covered his left eye. He was Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja, a true genius of the Hidden Leaf Village. But standing before the Memorial Stone, he didn't really feel like a true genius, for if he had been a true genius he would've been able to save the lives of those he cared about. He wouldn't be standing there, all alone, staring at their names written in the stone.

"Hello Obito, Rin, sensei," Kakashi whispered in a sad tone, "Sorry I haven't been by recently to see you. I've just been so busy…" Kakashi chuckled when he said that. "Listen to me; it seems I picked up your old habit, Obito. I think it's probably one of the few things I have to remember you by; other than this…" Kakashi lifted up his headband to reveal his Sharingan eye, the one he received from Obito all those years ago. It was rather odd though; his right eye was dry, but his left was full of tears. "Obito…sometimes, I wish I could take back all the things I ever said to you." With that last remark, Kakashi pulled his headband back over his left eye. He then became quiet and began contemplating all the mistakes he made in his younger years, not even realizing that he was being watched.

Off in the distance, another person had come to the Memorial Stone to honor those who were gone from this world. She had just come out from behind a tree and looked towards the Memorial Stone, where she saw someone already standing there. She couldn't make out who it was at first, but as soon as she saw the silver hair, she immediately knew who it was.

"Kakashi, is that you?"

Kakashi quickly turned around to see who it was. When he turned around, he was a little surprised by what his eyes beheld; the person he saw had earth-brown eyes, long rose-red hair that went just past her shoulders and a smile that always made him happy whenever he thought about it. He was a little surprised to see this person again, though, for it had been years since he had last seen this person. And now that he was seeing this person again, he was unable to say any good words to start a proper conversation. All he was able to say was…

"Sayuri," Kakashi said in astonishment, "Sayuri Nikki, is that really you?"

"Kakashi!" Sayuri yelled in happiness.

Without any warning at all, this girl, Sayuri, ran to Kakashi and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him with all her might. Kakashi didn't hesitate; he responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in even closer. What came next was the biggest surprise of them all; Sayuri reached up, took hold of Kakashi's mask and pulled it down revealing his true face. It was really amazing, especially since Kakashi didn't do anything to stop or even slow her down. He just stood there and let Sayuri have her way. Sayuri stared into his eyes, running her hand gently down his cheek, smiling as she looked into his face. She then placed both her hands on his cheeks and pulled him into a soft kiss. Kakashi wasn't surprised by Sayuri's actions at all; truth be told, he had been waiting for this feeling for so long himself. He rarely even caught a glimpse of her and when he did, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. After what seemed like an eternity, Sayuri released the kiss and looked once again into Kakashi's eye with love and happiness.

"Kakashi," Sayuri whispered in a tone that was both happy and sad, "I've missed you so much. I've wanted to see for so long…"

"And I you," Kakashi answered as he leaned his forehead against hers, "I often wondered if I'd ever get the chance to see you again. But now that I am seeing you again, I've got to say it was worth the wait. You've become a very beautiful woman…"

It was true; Sayuri was now 26 years old and was the same height as Kakashi. Her figure was slender, her skin was soft and smooth and her lips were covered with a deep red lipstick that really brought out her eyes. Kakashi noticed that she was wearing a jônin vest like his, but it was different from Kakashi's. Hers was dark blue instead of green. On the back of her vest was a symbol her clan: two trees standing side by side with vines intertwined between them.

"Paying your respects to Obito," Sayuri said, "like you do every morning."

Kakashi smirked as he pulled his mask back up and covered his Sharingan eye. "You're probably the only person in the entire Leaf Village who has ever been able to read me so well, even with my mask on."

Sayuri smiled, giggling a little over Kakashi's comment. The two of them then turned to face the Memorial Stone; Kakashi had one arm slung around Sayuri while she had one arm slung around his back. The two of them just stared at the Memorial Stone, at the names of those whom they had lost. Staring at this stone stirred up old memories within Sayuri and begged her to ask the question…

"Kakashi, do you remember the first time we met?"

Kakashi sighed deeply. "How could I ever forget…?"

_The Hidden Leaf Village, just one year after the Third Great Shinobi War…_

Kakashi stood in a large group people, dressed in black attire. It was a cloudy day; it represented the mood of all the people of the Hidden Leaf Village who had gathered at the Memorial Stone for the eulogy. But this eulogy was much different from most others, for this eulogy wasn't just for one person; it was for a whole clan. A clan that had given everything they had to protect the Hidden Leaf Village and protect its people during the Third Great Shinobi War. That clan was known as the Nikki clan, a clan that had ties to the First Hokage. They wanted protect his home, for the Nikki clan cherished family above anything else. They had made a great deal of contributions during the war; in fact, if it wasn't for them the war would've lasted much longer. They had been one of the greatest clans ever in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village.

However, just when it seemed like the death and bloodshed had finally ended; the entire Nikki clan was found murdered in their own complex. Every last man, woman and child had been found hacked to pieces, their blood splattered on every wall. As if that was bad enough, symbols had been drawn all over their walls, symbols of hatred and prejudice, as if to show that the hatred towards the Nikki clan would continue long after their deaths. Regrettably, whoever the murderers were, they had managed to cover their tracks. There was no evidence to suggest the involvement of another shinobi village, so the case had to be dropped regardless of who objected.

As Kakashi stood in the large group of people, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic and regretful. It only seemed like a short time ago that he was standing before the Memorial Stone after his father had committed suicide. That day, he cursed his father, Sakumo Hatake, for being so weak and just giving up like he did. But while he may have said those things out loud, on the inside he was cursing himself for not being there when his father needed him and not helping him when he needed as much support as he could get. He also remembered how he had stood before the Memorial Stone at the end of the war, looking at the name of his dearest friend Obito Uchiha, who had given him a very unique gift; he had given Kakashi the Sharingan from his left eye. All that pain seemed to just come rushing back to him as he stood there in the large group of people facing the Memorial Stone.

He then saw someone walk towards the Memorial Stone from the side. He knew immediately who it was, even if that person wasn't drabbed in his usual attire. He was teacher, mentor, and the newest Hokage of the Leaf Village; he was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. As he stopped in front of the Memorial Stone and turned to face the crowd, the rain started to pour.

Minato simply ignored the rain; he cleared his throat, getting ready to speak. "To all of you who have come out here today, I thank you. This is truly one of the saddest days ever in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village; for we did not just lose one person, but a whole clan. The Nikki clan was truly one of the greatest clans, for they gave us hope when most of us had given up…" Kakashi looked around when the Fourth Hokage said those words and noticed that some people were hanging their heads in shame; others looked like they were crying though it was hard to tell with the rain pouring like it was. Kakashi was so depressed that he didn't pay much attention to most of the eulogy until he heard something that caught his attention, "…almost all of the clan was murdered in pure hatred…"

Kakashi quickly realized what his sensei had just said. _Did he just say "almost all of the clan?_ Kakashi thought as the eulogy continued. _Does that mean that there is a survivor of the clan? _Kakashi quickly began to look around, eventually lifting up his headband to reveal his Sharingan eye, looking for the survivor. Eventually, he found the survivor; but it was quite a surprise for him, because he discovered the survivor was nothing more than a young girl, probably about as old as he was. Kakashi knew she was the survivor because she had her clan symbol embroidered on the sleeve of her shirt. _So she's the only one left,_ Kakashi thought as he covered his left eye again, _The poor thing…she's all alone…just like me._

Kakashi then noticed that the young girl was whimpering trying her best to hold back her pain, but she wasn't doing a good job. Even with the falling as hard as it was, Kakashi could see the tears running down her face. The Fourth Hokage's speech went on for what seemed like forever, but nobody really bothered to try and stop him, for everyone there wanted to show their respects to such a great clan. But eventually, the eulogy had to end for the Leaf Village had much to do; as the crowds parted and people started to head for their homes.

Kakashi stood in his spot for a few more moments before he was ready to head back. The rain had finally stopped, but the clouds still hung overhead prolonging the gloomy tone. Kakashi then noticed the young girl was also still there. He noticed that the young girl wasn't whimpering anymore, but tears were still running down her face. Then he noticed the strange look on her face; it wasn't depressed, nor was it happy. Her face just looked blank, with no sign of emotion anywhere. She then turned around and started to walk away, the vacant look still on her face. She only took a few steps forward before she was surrounded by what looked like flower petals and disappeared. Kakashi couldn't help but be concerned…

_That poor girl_, Kakashi thought, _she's lost her entire family; I know that pain all too well. But what was with that look of hers, it seemed so familiar…_ A vision of Kakashi's father suddenly popped into his mind. _Oh no, I've seen that look before. It was just like my father's, before he…oh no, she isn't going to…I've got to stop her, but where would she go? Hmmm, maybe…_

Kakashi quickly ran up to his sensei who was still standing before the Memorial Stone, reading all the names that had just been added to it.

"Minato-sensei!" Kakashi cried out as he approached his teacher.

"Kakashi, you're still here?" the Fourth Hokage said as he turned around to see his student. "Are you planning to pay respects to Obito, again?"

"No, I need information, right now," Kakashi said frantically, "Tell me, where is the Nikki clan complex?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I can't explain everything; I just need to know where the complex is! Please, don't ask questions, just tell me!"

"Okay, okay, relax," Minato said, surprised to see the usually calm ninja acting so frantically, "do you remember where the old neighborhood is, the one that was abandoned when the village grew because of the Second Hokage?" Kakashi nodded his head. "Well, that's where the Nikki clan built their complex when they came to the village. But tell me, Kakashi, why are you so-"

Minato didn't finish his sentence for Kakashi was already racing back towards the village, pouring his chakra into his feet to give him an extra burst of speed. The Fourth Hokage just stared after Kakashi and shook his head, hoping that Kakashi wasn't going to do anything foolish. It was true that Kakashi was already a jônin, but even jônin were capable of doing rash things from time to time.

Kakashi raced through the streets of the Leaf Village, sometimes jumping up onto the roofs to get his bearings. He was halfway through the village—the old neighborhood his sensei had mentioned was on the opposite side. He had just reached the halfway point when he saw a green blur out of the corner of his eyes, which was followed by a whooping holler and a quick glint. Kakashi immediately knew who it was and quite frankly, he didn't have any time for such nuisances.

"Hey Kakashi, how's it going?" said the boisterous voice of Might Guy. "Shall we take care of our usual business? The day may be gloomy, but that doesn't mean-"

"Not now, Guy," Kakashi interrupted, "I don't have time for any of your idiotic games."

Guy had a completely bewildered look. "What did you say? Come on, we went over this before. I won't leave alone until you agree to challenge me; I'll follow you all over the Leaf Village if I have to!"

"Fine then, I forfeit!"

"What did you just say!?"

"You heard me, Guy, whatever your challenge is I forfeit. You win, now leave me alone!"

Might Guy came to a screeching halt as Kakashi continued on, not even looking back once to see the ridiculous and rather funny look on Guy's face. His face showed signs of shock, disbelief and bewilderment. For the first time ever, Guy was completely speechless. He didn't know what to say, all he could do was stare at the fading speck that was his greatest rival. However, after a few moments of silence, Guy finally called out: "I did it! I'm ahead of Kakashi by one whole victory!" Guy could no longer contain his excitement and began to leap for joy, not even paying attention to the people who were staring at him. Kakashi would regret his decision in the future, but he didn't really care about that right now.

Kakashi eventually found the gates to the Nikki clan complex. Kakashi quickly pushed on the doors and slowly opened them to reveal the now dark streets and alleys of the complex. He tried to look for some source of light, but it was no good, all the houses were dark. How was he going to find the girl if there was no way to detect her? Kakashi nearly slapped his head when he remembered what he had and quickly lifted his headband up to reveal his Sharingan eye. He quickly scanned all of the houses until he found a single lone chakra signature in one of the houses a little further down the street. Not wasting any time, Kakashi quickly rushed to the house.

As soon as Kakashi arrived, he quickly opened the door and looked inside. What he saw nearly made him freeze; the young girl sat in the middle of a dark room, with a kunai knife in her hand pointing towards her throat. She was whimpering again and tears were streaming down her face, but she was going to go through with it. Kakashi then saw that the kunai was slowly moving towards her neck.

"No! Stop!" Kakashi cried out as he ran towards her. In that instance, time seemed to slow down as Kakashi ran to the girl and quickly grabbed her arm, stopping the kunai just inches from her throat.

"What are you doing!?" she cried out. "Let me go!"

"No, I won't let you go through with this!" Kakashi said sternly as he forced the girl's arm away from her. "How can you just give up like this!?"

"Because I'm all alone," the girl whimpered as she tried to break free Kakashi's grip, "I have no one left, I have no reason to go on."

"What about your team, won't they-"

"They're dead too! Don't you see, I'm all alone…I have no one left. Everyone I've ever loved is dead…" With that the girl slumped and hung her head in despair, but she still held the kunai. "What reason do I have left to go on…tell me, TELL ME!?"

Kakashi didn't know what to say; for he didn't know what words could possibly comfort her. That's when Kakashi stopped thinking and did the one thing in his mind that seemed like the best course of action. He reached up, pulled his mask down, turned her face towards his and kissed her with all of his might. The young Nikki girl was in complete shock, she didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to think, but as she felt his warm lips on hers, she suddenly didn't care. It was as if this person was telling her that he knew what she was feeling and what she was going through. Soon, nothing else mattered and her sadness slowly melted away. She eventually dropped the kunai just so she could wrap her arms around Kakashi and pull him in even closer.

Neither one of them knew how many hours had passed since they had kissed; all they knew was that the clouds had parted and the moon was out. It was a very beautiful night, the sky was dotted with stars and the moon was full. The two young lovers were sitting on the roof, just enjoying the view. It truly was a romantic night.

Kakashi sat up right with the young Nikki girl leaning on his shoulder. He still had his mask down, but he didn't care; he was so lost in the joy of the moment he didn't care if anyone else saw his face. Time just seemed to drift by, until the young girl finally found her voice again…

"Um, thank you," the young said meekly.

"For what?" Kakashi asked.

"For what you did back there, for stopping me from doing something terrible. Thank you so much!" She began to nuzzle his shoulder.

"Oh, well…it was nothing; I just couldn't let you die."

"By why did you stop me? You don't even know me?"

"Well, truth be told, I've also lost some very important people in my life. One of them committed suicide and I wasn't able to stop him; I guess when I saw that look in your eyes, I couldn't help but feel like I had to stop you from making a terrible mistake. Sorry…"

The girl just chuckled and blushed a little as she looked at Kakashi's handsome face. "It's okay, I'm glad you did stop me. You know, you just occurred to me, you never told me your name."

Kakashi was surprised. "You really don't know my name! I'm shocked…well, if you must know, I am Kakashi Hatake."

"Kakashi," the young girl said intriguingly, "that's an odd name. Well, my name is Sayuri Nikki…"

"Sayuri," Kakashi said, "its beautiful name."

Sayuri blushed a little bit more. "Thank you…I've never felt this happy in my life." Kakashi smiled as he took hold of her hand and rubbed it gently. As Kakashi rubbed Sayuri's hand, a thought occurred to her that made her giggle. "Hey, I just thought of way neither one of us could be lonely again."

"Yeah, what's that?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, when we're old enough…would you…m-m-marry me?" Sayuri's entire face turned crimson.

Kakashi was completely speechless. Even though he had the Sharingan eye, he would've never seen this coming. Sayuri took his silence as sign of rejection and started to cry. Thankfully, her tears were enough to break Kakashi out of his trance.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little shocked is all," Kakashi said quickly, "I really don't know what to say, honestly. But, you know, I'm tired of coming back to an empty home everyday. So yes, when we're old enough, I will marry you."

"Promise?" Sayuri asked, wiping the tears away.

"Promise," Kakashi answered gently.

Sayuri had a gentle yet beaming smile on her face. "Thank you…"Sayuri then looked up into the sky at the full moon. "You know there is a bit of a tradition in the Nikki clan: if a promise is made underneath a full moon, it has to be kept no matter what. So you've got to keep your promise no matter what, understand?"

Kakashi smiled and nodded his head before he gently pulled her in closer and kissed her.

_Leaf Village, present day…_

Kakashi and Sayuri were still standing in front of the Memorial Stone, reflecting on that day so many years ago.

"You know, Kakashi," Sayuri said softly, "that was both the first time and only time we were ever really together. We haven't really seen each other since then."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kakashi said scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay," Sayuri said with a warm smile, "it was worth the wait in my opinion. You've become a very handsome man."

Kakashi didn't say anything; he just smiled underneath his mask and looked at Sayuri. He wanted to say something, but with Sayuri words weren't needed at all.

"Well, I better get going," Sayuri said as she pulled away from Kakashi and started to walk back to the village, "my team's been a little annoyed because I tend show up late almost all the time."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow as he turned to look at her; he was surprised that Sayuri had the same habit he did. Sayuri took only several steps before she stopped and looked back at Kakashi.

"You know, Kakashi, it has been thirteen years since you made that promise to me." Sayuri looked a little disappointed, but she was still able to smile. "But that's okay; I know you still have some things to sort out first. Besides, I'd wait forever for you." Sayuri then disappeared in a twister of flower petals just like she did that day, leaving Kakashi standing there.

_She always knows what I'm thinking,_ Kakashi thought, _one of the many reasons I love her so much._ Kakashi then reached into one of the pockets on his vest, pulled out a small box and opened it up to reveal a small golden ring with an emerald and ruby imbedded in two flowers. _Don't worry Sayuri, I haven't forgotten my promise. I will marry you someday…and when I do, neither of us will ever be alone again…_

To be continued…

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Sayuri Nikki, Nikki Clan © M. Z. Hamma

This here is the second part of the prologue of my fanfic. It helps introduce a new character who will play a pretty significant part as the story progresses.


	3. Ch 1: Enter Samanosuke Tatsukokoro

Naruto: Another Side, A New Story

**Naruto: Another Side, a New Story**

**Chapter 1: Enter Samanosuke Tatsukokoro and the Fukei**

_The Hidden Leaf Village, one day before the Chûnin Exams…_

It was a dark night over the Hidden Leaf Village; clouds had blanketed the entire night sky, covering the stars and the moon. People were sleeping soundly in their beds, dreaming peaceful dreams. They were completely unaware of a single lone figure that stood on the Hokage Stone Faces, looking over the entire village.

"Ah, good old Hidden Leaf Village," the lone figure said, "it's been far too long."

"We didn't come here so you could reminisce, Samanosuke," said a cold, serious tone, "we need to prepare for what's about to happen."

"Relax, Ryoma, I haven't forgotten our mission," the figure said, still looking at the village, "but just give me a few more moments. I haven't seen this place for nearly twelve years." He then turned around and saw three other figures hidden in the shadows.

"Fine, you can procrastinate if you want," said the cold voice, "the rest of us will be performing our duties…like professional ninjas."

"Oh, don't be so mean, Ryo," said a gentle, feminine voice, "Sammy just wants to see his old home. He has been away for a very long time…"

"Yeah, lay off, Ryoma," said another tougher feminine voice, "you could at least let him have this moment of tranquility. After all, things are going to become very hairy over these next few weeks."

"Fine…let's just get started already. I'm tired of just sitting here." Said the figure with the cold tone.

"All right then," said the tough feminine voice, "you do what you want to do, Samanosuke. We'll start getting things ready."

"Gotcha, and remember to keep in constant contact," the lone figure said, tapping the hidden mike on the left side of his head.

With those last few words, the three hidden figures vanished to set up for the danger that was approaching, leaving the lone figure standing on top the Hokage Stone faces. Just then, the clouds parted and allowed the moonlight to shine down and disperse the darkness; when the shadows disappeared, the lone figure full body was revealed. He was tall, had brown-green eyes and short brown hair; he was wearing a chûnin vest and had a pair of katana strapped to his back. He turned back to look down at the peaceful village with a smile on his face.

"Look out, Leaf Village," said the mystery person, "because Samanosuke Tatsukokoro is back!"

With that last remark, the ninja known as Samanosuke leapt from the Hokage Stone Faces down into the streets below to take a tour of his old home. As he started down the road, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic; it had been nearly twelve years since he had last seen his home. The last day he saw it was the day after Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, had attacked. Of course, it was in pretty bad shape back then; but it seemed that the village had recovered quite nicely. On his little tour, he passed by some of his favorite spots like Ichiraku's Ramen and the Hidden Leaf Bookstore before he stopped in front of a large apartment complex. It looked kind of run down, but that didn't really matter to Samanosuke. For there was only one room in the whole complex he was interested in seeing.

Samanosuke quickly made the dragon, rat and horse hand signs before he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke and reappeared inside one of the apartments. It was small and felt very empty; as he looked around, he saw that there were a few dirty dishes and empty ramen cups scattered around the room. Obviously, the person who lived in this room wasn't exactly tidy. Then he looked over and saw the bed near the window; as the moonlight shined through the window, it cast a gentle ray upon the face of a young boy who was sleeping peacefully. Samanosuke slowly walked over to the sleeping and looked at his face. He was wearing a silly nightcap and light blue pajamas. His eyes were closed and he was snoring a little bit, yet he seemed completely at peace which surprised Samanosuke a little bit. But the one thing Samanosuke was focusing were the whisker marks on the boy's cheeks, marks that he got the day the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside of him.

_You've had to suffer for so long,_ Samanosuke thought as he looked gently into the boy's face, _but don't worry, you won't be alone anymore_.

Samanosuke spent another few minutes looking the boy's face before he vanished from the room and appeared outside in the streets again, thinking about the boy he had just saw, the only family he had left, his young cousin Naruto Uzumaki.

_The Hidden Leaf Village, the night after the elimination rounds of the Chûnin Exams…_

Samanosuke was once again found himself on the streets of the Leaf Village at night. It had been nearly over a week since the start of the Chûnin Exams and already signs of misfortune were showing. In the Forest of Death, Samanosuke had bared witness when Orochimaru placed the Curse Mark on Sasuke's neck which later activated when Team 7 was attacked by the three Sound genin. Samanosuke knew he would have to take care of that Curse Mark eventually, but right now his mind was elsewhere. He was mainly thinking about the matches he saw earlier that day.

_Naruto certainly was impressive,_ Samanosuke thought holding his finger to his chin, _who would've guessed a young genin like him could use Shadow Clones already. I'm glad he was able to win, he certainly has earned it._ As Samanosuke continued down the dark street, he thought about all the other matches he had seen that day. But the two that interested him the most were the ones that involved Hinata Hyuga and Rock Lee; sure, they didn't win their matches, but that didn't matter to Samanosuke. Through his eyes, he saw some hidden potential in those two, especially since they seemed to be the only people in the whole stadium who showed Naruto any real respect. _Hmm, I think I just found the ones to make my…_

Before Samanosuke could finish his thought, the mike on his ear crackled to life.

"Samanosuke, this is Dalila, do you read?" said a voice over the mike.

"This is Samanosuke," he answered, "I read you loud and clear, what's up?"

"Just calling to let you know I've taken care of two of the three Sound genin."

"That's good to hear…what about the third one, the one called Dosu. Have you dealt with him yet?"

"That's actually what I'm calling you about. The others went to his apartment to apprehend him, but he wasn't there. We think he might be somewhere in the village."

"What, but that doesn't make any sense; where could he possibly…" Samanosuke stopped his train of thought when he eye peered up at the top of Kikyo Castle off in the distance. He wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he saw two people standing on top of it. That's when a thought popped into his head. "I'll call you back, Dalila."

Samanosuke quickly made the dragon hand sign and poured chakra into his eyes. "Ryugan!" Samanosuke said. His eyes changed and his vision quickly zoomed on top of Kikyo Castle; his suspicions had been right. One of the two figures he saw was Dosu, the other one Gaara the Sand ninja.

_What's Dosu doing up there? _Samanosuke thought. _He couldn't possibly be thinking of…Oh no, I better hurry!_ Samanosuke quickly began leaping from rooftop to rooftop at break neck speed. As he came closer, he could see…something growing out of Gaara's body. He knew all too well what that thing was and knew he had precious little time.

Dosu, meanwhile, was in complete shock. He had sought out Gaara so he could eliminate him, but he soon found out he had bitten off more than he could chew. "Wh-What are you?" Dosu stammered as he watched the protrusion from Gaara's body come barreling towards him. Samanosuke had little time, but he was prepared; he quickly made a series of hand signs before he put on an extra burst of speed. Dosu could see his whole life flash before his eyes as the protrusion was just a few inches from his body. Suddenly, the unknown appendage collided with Dosu and kicked up an enormous dust cloud. Gaara waited as the dust settled, revealing Dosu's corpse with several large gashes. To Gaara, it seemed like he had killed the Sound ninja. However, what he didn't know was that there were two people at the bottom of Kikyo Castle, one who thought he was dead.

"Huh, what, am I dead?" Dosu asked as he ran his hands all over his body, wondering if he was dreaming. "I'm alive; but how…" Before Dosu could even begin to contemplate this, a hand chopped down on the back of his neck and knocked him out cold.

"Sorry, Dosu, but I'm afraid you're going to have to sit this one out," Samanosuke whispered. He then quickly tapped the mike on his ear. "Dalila, are you still there?"

"I am, Samanosuke, what's up?"

"I just found the third Sound ninja. He's at the bottom of Kikyo Castle; can you come pick him up?"

"Actually, Kameko is much closer to your position. I'll send her over; she should be there in a couple of minutes, so he can leave him in you want."

"Thanks, Dalila, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm going to see if I can't scrounge up any more info on this attack."

Samanosuke then walked out from behind Kikyo Castle, leaving the unconscious Dosu on the ground. He was about to head out, when he saw two figures leaping across the rooftops.

"Oh, what now?" Samanosuke groaned.

Fortunately, Samanosuke's Ryugan was still active; he focused his eyes on the first figure, the one that was running away. He knew right away who it was; it was Hayate Gekko, a close friend and one of his old teammates. When he looked at the second figure, he couldn't identify him; all his was able to tell was that the second figure was from the Sand Village, judging by the headband he was wearing.

_Well, looks like our intelligence was right,_ Samanosuke thought, _looks like Sand and Sound have joined forces. Must've been a secret meeting and Hayate got caught spying; well, he never was good with covert operations. Oh boy, it's going to be one of those nights…_

Samanosuke immediately gave chase; he knew Hayate very well. He was a good swordsman, this was true, but his abilities wouldn't be enough to deal with a Sand jônin that was for sure. He immediately gave chase, jumping up onto the roofs, keeping back just far enough so he wouldn't be spotted but close enough that he intervene if need be. Suddenly, the two figures stopped on a lone rooftop; Samanosuke was only a few meters away. He couldn't tell what either one of them was saying, but Samanosuke was only waiting for an opening he could use to save Hayate.

Just then, Hayate disappeared; Samanosuke knew what was coming. Leaf Village's Secret Technique: Crescent Moon Dance, one of Hayate's best moves. But when Hayate's sword contact with the Sand ninja, it didn't go all the way through. This was what Samanosuke had been waiting for; he quickly made the same series of hand signs as before. He then focused chakra to the bottom of his feet and prepped himself for his next move. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Samanosuke saw what looked like a blade of wind coming towards Hayate; this was his chance.

Hayate watched as the attack was coming towards him. He felt helpless as he felt the wind blew onto his face…just before everything went dark. When the wind finally died down, the Sand ninja stood over the corpse of Hayate Gekko.

"Hmph, that was even easier than I thought," the Sand ninja said, "looks like we won't have to worry about our plans being discovered by the Leaf Village anytime soon." With that last remark, the Sand ninja disappeared in a cloud of sand, completely unaware that the dead body wasn't real.

In a dark alleyway, just beneath the rooftop where the scuffle took place, Samanosuke had the unconscious body of Hayate Gekko leaning on his shoulder. He gently laid Hayate up against the building before he used his Ryugan to look up onto the rooftop. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Sand Ninja was gone. His plan had worked; the Sand ninja didn't realize that the body he had attacked was a fake as well as the blood that now covered the roof. Samanosuke leaned against the building and breathed deeply before he heard Hayate stir.

"Huh, hey where am I?" Hayate asked as he rubbed his eyes. "How did I get here?"

"Well, well, nice to see you're doing all right Hayate," Samanosuke said.

Hayate quickly looked up at the young man who had saved him. He couldn't identify the person at first, but when he looked closely at his face, Hayate couldn't help but gasp.

"Samanosuke, Samanosuke Tatsukokoro," Hayate said in a surprised tone, "is that really you?"

"It sure is, Hayate," Samanosuke replied sincerely.

Hayate couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh at the sight of his old teammate and friend. "I can't believe it, it's really you! How long has it been since I last saw you? Man, you've really grown…"

"Thanks, Hayate," Samanosuke replied, "By the way, are you sick? You seem a little pale."

Hayate coughed a little. "Yeah, I haven't been feeling very well for the last few months. But at least I'm not dead…" It was then that a thought occurred to Hayate. "Wait a minute; are you the one who saved me?" Samanosuke smiled and nodded. "But how did you-"

Samanosuke quickly held up his hand. "That is a bit of a long story, Hayate, and I'm afraid I don't have time for stories." Samanosuke quickly looked back out into the streets to make sure no one was around. "Right now, we need to get you out of here."

"Huh…but, why? I need to get to Lord Hokage and tell him what I found!"

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible," Samanosuke said.

"Why not?"

"Because the enemy thinks you're dead; I used a special jutsu to create a fake copy of you. If you were seen walking around the village by the enemy, it might lead them to believe that there is another force at work here in the Leaf Village and that could jeopardize my mission. I'm sorry to say, but I can't take that risk; everyone, including the ninja Hidden Leaf must think you are dead."

Hayate looked at his old friend in utter disbelief. "What…but I can't just disappear. What about Yugao does she also have to think I'm dead?"

"I assume that you two are finally going steady?" Hayate blushed and nodded his head. "Then yes, I'm afraid so; I just can't afford to blow my cover right now, Hayate. Look, Hayate, you have to understand-"

"Look, I really don't know what your business is," Hayate interrupted, "but I'm not going to leave Yugao for your sake, even if we are friends."

"I see," Samanosuke said, slowly reaching into a pocket of his, "well, if that's how you feel…"

Samanosuke quickly turned around and blew a strange kind of powder into Hayate's face. In less than a few seconds, Hayate became drowsy and eventually passed out, muttering Samanosuke's name as he fell. Samanosuke quickly caught the unconscious ninja and slung over his shoulder.

"Man, what have they been feeding you," Samanosuke groaned as he carried Hayate over his shoulder. He then activated the hidden mike on his ear. "Hey, Dalila, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Samanosuke, is something wrong?"

"Not exactly…I'm just wondering if we have room for a fourth person."

"Well, it might be a tight fit, but I think we will be able to manage."

"Thanks, Dalila…oh by the way, you better get your medical equipment prepped for another person."

"Why do I need to set it up for a second person…?"

"I'll explain when I get there; in the meantime, just get yourself ready, it's going to be a fairly busy night for you. Samanosuke, out!"

Samanosuke took one last look around to be sure no one would follow them. With the unconscious Hayate Gekko over his shoulder, he leapt up onto the rooftops and began to head to the secret hideout. Samanosuke took one last quick look at the fake corpse and felt a little bad about what he was doing. He knew Yugi very well; she had been the second person who made up his old three man squad before he left the village. Even though Samanosuke wanted to at least let Yugi know Hayate was all right, he also knew that what was at stake if his mission was compromised. So, with a heavy heart, Samanosuke continued with the unconscious swordsman, hoping that Yugao would come to forgive him…

To be continued…

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Samanosuke Tatsukokoro, Dalila, Ryoma, Kameko © M. Z. Hamma

Here is the first chapter of my fanfic. Samanosuke and the others are making their move; now the question is will it work?

Please let me know what you think of this chapter and enjoy!


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